The present invention pertains to a hinge assembly finding diversified application in the hinge arts. More particularly, the present invention provides a hinge assembly comprising three components.
The present invention also pertains to suitcase or luggage devices. More specifically, the present invention is concerned with a rigid type of suitcase which is particularly adapted to retain full length garments.
There are many applications which require a hinge design that not only provides overall strength, but additionally allows full opening past 90.degree. while still retaining its overall strength. The present hinge design not only offers these advantages and features over prior art hinge designs, but additionally provides a hinge which is self-sealing against dust. The present hinge finds particular application in the luggage arts for the reasons brought out below.
Over the years, suitcase or luggage devices have been particularly adapted for retaining full length garments, especially women's apparel, such that the garments need not be folded. Such luggage means have invariably been made of a pliable material which in effect resembles or constitutes a garment bag suitably provided with a zipper. Such garment luggage is also generally provided with a hanger bracket therein whereby clothes can be placed upon special hangers provided in conjunction therewith and securely attached within the bag, which after being zippered closed is then folded over to thus resemble a suitcase, generally being provided with a handle on the outside portion of the seam or fold for carrying the garment bag.
Needless to say, such garment bags suffer many disadvantages. For example, being soft and pliable, they are quite easily crushed. Moreover, being provided with zippers, they are not as moisture and soil proof as conventional rigid type of luggage. In addition, being pliable, that is constructed of a resilient pliable materials, they are quite often torn or damaged when subjected to the normal amount of abusive handling in transit.
Another very distinctive disadvantage of such garment bags is the fact that even though certain luggage manufacturers produce the bags in similar colors and design features as that particular manufacturer's line of rigid luggage, nevertheless they invariably do not appear to be of similar origin, viz. they simply do not match the rest of the rigid type of luggage design with which they have attempted to be mated.
Among the many advantages and features of the present invention is the fact that a complete set of matched rigid structure luggage can be provided comprising the present rigid garment suitcase of the present invention. Additionally, the instant invention provides a full length garment storage rigid structured suitcase which also overcomes all of the other above described disadvantages of full length garment bag types of luggage. The above together with other features and advantages of the instant invention will be apparent to one skilled in the art in light of the details of construction and operation of the present suitcase as shown in the drawings and described in the ensuing detailed disclosure of its preferred embodiments which are particularly pointed out in the appended claims.